BBC loses The Great British Bake Off and we are very scared

And it looks like Channel Four have swooped in

BBC

Sep 12, 2016

The BBC has reportedly lost the rights to The Great British Bake Off, with the current series to be the channel's last. The series' producer Love Productions has said it has been "unable to reach agreement on terms to renew the commission of The Great British Bake Off".

Love Productions said the year-long negotiations had faced issues on "money" and "the development of the brand", and a last-ditch meeting on Monday hadn't resolved things.

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They said that "after an extraordinary six-year journey with the BBC, Love Productions announces with regret that it has been unable to reach agreement on terms to renew the commission of The Great British Bake Off.

"We will now be focusing on finding a new partner to develop the familiar show that the British public turn to in their millions.

"Love Productions would like to thank the BBC for the role it played in making this show such an enormous hit, and the faith they showed in us over the years to develop it."

Asked if the decision could be reversed, Love Productions said it could not, according to BBC News.

The BBC said it hoped Love Productions would "change their mind so that Bake Off can stay ad-free on BBC One", adding:

"We made a very strong offer to keep the show but we are a considerable distance apart on the money. The BBC's resources are not infinite."

Jay Hunt, Channel 4's chief creative officer, said: "I'm delighted we have been able to partner with the hugely talented team at Love Productions to keep this much-loved show on free-to-air television."

And some people are NOT happy about it. 2015 GBBO contestant Flora Shedden tweeted: "Really sad to hear that the BBC has lost rights to Bake Off. Its success is down to format and aesthetic - commercialising will ruin that."